The tradition of Born
on the Fourth of July (1989) works perfectly here. Tom Cruise
starred in that film as an anti-war protester. Now, he runs for his life
as a father alienated from his own children. The holiday coincidence maximizes
the chance that audiences may explore this timely subject.

As a father, though,
what crime does he commit? He meets rebellion with firmness and consistency.
He seeks only the survival of his offspring. His single-minded focus brings
reality to every far-fetched macabre invention.

His teenaged son (Justin
Chatwin) acts out the behavior of youngsters who must deal with doubled
authority figures when their parents divorce. When he flees his father,
he heads straight for the malignant Martians. His rebellion becomes a
go-for-broke quest for maturity.

His charming daughter
(Dakota Fanning) achieves the impact of a Clara Bow. Her face registers
every suspicion and already seems imprinted on the audience. Each time
Cruise carries this family treasure through havoc, he shelters half of
cinematic history in his arms.

Such delicate touches
epitomize the human side of war -- families never to touch again. Hats
off to director Stephen Spielberg for concentrating on the children in
this story! The Freudian battle does not stop when nations declare war
or sign a treaty.

As the obstructionist
posing as an ally, Tim Robbins becomes the adult they must never be. If
they can conquer him, they will realize that war inevitably creates oceans
of blood. Love still treads furiously -- and may offer a lifesaver.

Do not underestimate
the impact this movie may have on tender sensibilities. In fact, its horrific
elements may point all the way back to Blood Feast (1963).

The tentacles of War
of the Worlds prove deceptive. They drop like anacondas from above
while cohorts fracture urban infrastructure from below. Sandwiched in
between two reigns of terror, the human family becomes akin to earthworms.
Even the slightest wriggle may bring detection -- and slaughter.

These alien devices
carry the carnage through the earth's natural veins -- tree roots and
spreading vines. This savage imagery will unnerve those who prefer green
to red in their backyards. Its repugnance magnifies the villainy of Dune
(1989), spreading blood lust over the face of the earth.

The atmosphere of
impending doom derives from the original Paradise Lost,
where Satan scans creation with "envy" (Book IV. 115). Wells applies the
same term to the Martians; Morgan Freeman's reading of "envious eyes"
drums the point home here. Both, in turn, rely on scriptural tradition:
I John 11.16 warns of the "lust of the eyes."

If giant surveillance
cameras bedevil so many characters, all share a right to scream.

Much as he admired
the H.G.
Wells' original, viewers should be aware that Spielberg never intended
this movie to be a remake of anything. In the telling interviews on Moviefone,
he simply says: "Tell a story -- that's the secret!" Furthermore, he insists
that every moviemaker must "express your own originality."